Intaglio-printing machine.



' I. TORNBERG.

INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-19.1917.

LQEBAfiU Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

LTOBNBERG.

INTAGLIO PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1917.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 maniac.

ISIDOR TORNBERG, 0F

new roan, it. 11"., assrcnron To a. HOE n 00., or new roan,

N. r, A conrcnarroar or new .EMII

INTAGLIO-PBINTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. a, in.

Application filed February 19, 1917. Serial No. 149,437.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that l, llsmon TORNBERG, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city," county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Intaglio PrintingMachines, fully described and represented in the following specificationand the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates tqcertain improvements in intaglio printingmachines.

For certain classes of work, intaglio machines areconstructed withcopper or other engraved cylinders, which run in or are continuouslysupplied with ink. Where the machin is a rotary machine, arranged toprint on a web, these engraved cylinders have cooperating therewithimpression cylinders or rolls of rubber or other suitable material, theweb being printed between the engraved plates and these rubberimpression cylinders or rolls.

In this type of machine it frequently happens that it is necessary,forvarious reasons, to stop the printing operation after the same hasbeen started and the engraved cylinder inked up. It is necessary,however, that the engraved ylinder continuously rotate in the ink, or becontinuously supplied with ink, so that the ink will not dry on theengraved surface of the cylinder.

To effect a stopping of the printing operation it has been proposed torovide adjusting means whereby the rubber impression cylinders or rollsmay be moved out of printing relation with the engraved printingcylinders. Where, however, a plurality of printing units, each includingan engraved cylinder and its cooperating rubber impression roll, areemployed, as in perfecting machines, it is desirable that both therubber impression rolls or eylindersmay be moved out of printingrelation with the printing cylinders simultaneously; This need for operating the rolls simultaneously may occur suddenly, and it isneccssarythat the means provided be such that stoppage of the print mgrelation may take place with the least possible loss of time.

llt is further desirable, however, that the mechanism employed formoving the impression rolls out of printing relation be such that any ofthe rolls may be moved indep nden y of the others, a d it is further desirablethat this mechanism should be of such character that it will beunnecessary to slip gears or disconnect clutches, the wrong .positionsof which might be overlooked and cause the mechanism to be insuch'position that quick stoppage of the run ofthe web the printinrelation between the im ression cylinders 0 rubber or other suitab ematerial and the engraved printin cylinders, may be simultaneously andquic (1y broken, thereby stopping the printing operation withoutinterrupting the running of the em graved printing cylinders, 1

llt is a further object of the invention -to provide such a constructionin which the impression rolls may have such printing relation brokenindependently of each other through a mechanism which obviates thenecessity of employing slipping gears or clutches which have to bemanipulated so that danger of the parts being in wrong position forquick and pro er operation of the mechanism is eliminated? With theseand other objectsin view, the invention consists in certain novel partsand combinations which will be specifically described in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation ofso much of an intaglio printing machine as is necessary for anunderstanding of the invention, the. machine shown employing twoprinting couples, certa'inparts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal view, artly in section. on an enlarged scale, theview being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the adjusting mechanismfor simultaneously adjusting both impression rolls;

Fig. i is a view, partly in section, fpart of the construction shown inFig. 3, the section being taken on line 41% of Fig. 3;

. Fig. 5 is detail sectional view, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of certain clutch and ratchet mechanismemployed.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine chosen to illustrate aconcrete embodiment, of the invention is a rotary machine having aplurality of printing couples, the

- recesses in the frame."

number in the present instance bein rubber impression rolls or cylindersaremounted so as to have a yielding contact with the engraved cylinders,and in the present construction the cylinders are arranged vertically',the impression cylinder being above. A convenient means for mounting theimpression cylinder is that illustrated in which the rolls are carriedin hubs 5, these hubs having projections 6 entering sockets 7 in blocks8 sliding in suitable ways 9 in the frame 10 of the machine, for apurpose hereinafter referred to. In the sockets 7 are springs 11 whichtake against the projections 6 of the hubs and the tops of the sockets,the tension of these springs being adjustable by means of rod 12 andadjusting nuts 13, this construction ermitting easy adjustment of thetension of t 1e springs, it being understood that this construction isduplicated on the other side of the machine. The engraved cylinders 1,2, after inking up, are continuously rotated during the operation of themachine, and are continuously fed with ink in any suitable manner, as byrotating in a fountain (not illustrated). It frequently happens that itis necessary to break the printing relation between the printiiigmembers of one of the couples without stopping the rotation of theprinting cylinder or without stopping the printing operation of theother couple. In machines embodying the invention, therefore, means areprovided whereby this is effected, and while these means may be carried'out in various ways, in the present instance .mechanism is employed bywhich the impression cylinders or rolls may be given a vertical movementindependent of each other to bring them out of and into contact withtheir cooperating printing cylinders. While the particu-' lar meansemployed for this purpose may be of any desired character, in theparticular construction illustrated the blocks 8 before referred to, inwhich the impression cylinders or rolls are mounted, are given a slidingmovement in the ways 9 by means of screws 14, these screws being mountedin These screws are threaded through ears 15 having threaded extension16 screwed into the blocks 8. By rotating these screws the blocks-areraised or lowered. as desired; The operating screws 14 take bearing inthe recesses in the frame between the ways 9 and are rotated by means ofspiral gears 17 on their upper ends, these spiral gears coiiperatingwith spiral gears operate clutches.

struetion illustrated, the shaft 24 has keyed 18 on shafts 19, 20extending across the machine, one such shaft being provided for each ofthe couples, these shafts being rotated bv suitable hand operated means,as hand wheels 21, 22 located at one side of the machine. Vith thisconstruction, the impression cylinders or rolls 3, 4 may be adiusted asdesired, and the printing relation sii'able that means be provided sothat this can be accomplished in the shortest possible time. Machinesconstructed in accordance with the invention, therefore, will beprovided with mechanism whereby this may be accomplished, and in thepreferred construction this mechanism will be such that the individualor independent raising or lowering of the impression rolls or cylinderscan be effected without slipping gears or disconnecting clutches which,if inadvertently left in the wrong position, would interfere with thequick and proper operation of the mechanism. While this may beaccomplished in various ways, in the particular construction illustratedthere are provided on one side of the machine a pair of independentaxially alined shafts 23, 24, these shafts being supported in brackets25 depending from a suitable cross frame 26. At their outer ends theseshafts are provided with spiral gears 27, 28, which mesh with similargears 29, 30 on the shafts 20, 19, before referred to. It will be seenthat by rotating these shafts in unison the shafts 20, 19 will belikewise rotated and the impression cylinders or rolls raised or loweredas the case may be.

Various means may be employed for rotating these shafts together, butthe means will include connections which will also permit them to beindependently rotated so that the impression cylinders 0r rolls may beindependently raised or loweredwithout the necessity of having tomanually slip gears or In the particular conor feathered on its innerend, so as to turn therewith, a clutch 31, and the shaft 23 has on itsextreme inner end a clutch 32, this clutch entering a recess 33 in theclutch face 31. The clutches 31, 32 are formed with a series of ratchetteeth 34, 35, respectively,

which are cut in their inner faces. so as to coincide with each otheraround the clutch faces, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The shaft 23 is' alsoprovided with a clutch 36 loosely mounted thereon, this clutch beingproraaaaeo vided on its inner face with a recess 37 in which seats asecond clutch 38, fastened or otherwisel secured on the shaft so as toturn therewith; the clutch faces 36, 38 having cut on their facesratchet teeth 39, 40, respec-. tively, which coincide circumferentiallyof the clutch faces.

Cooperating with these clutches is an actuator and means for operatingthe actuator, so as to cause it to operate the clutches for rotating theshafts simultaneously, in the direction desired. While the particularconstruction of this actuator may be somewhat varied, in the particularconstruction illustrated it is inthe form of a block 41 mounted so as torotate freely on the shaft 23 beforereferred' to, and have an easysliding movement along the shaft. In order that the actuatormay havethis easy longitudinal and rotary motion along and about the shaft 23,it is preferably mounted thereon through ball bearings 42, the ballsbeing held in position by suitable retaining rings 43 on each end of theactuator block. This actuator block is.provided on each face withratchet teeth 44, 45, the ratchet teeth 45 being adapted to engage withthe teeth 34, on the clutch faces 31, 32, and the teeth 44 p a beingadapted to engage with the teeth 39,

on the clutches 36, 38. The actuator block is operated in any suitablemanner to cause it to have'a longitudinal movement in either directionon the shaft 23 to cause it to engage the clutches on either side of it.In the particular construction illustrated, the actuator-block is formedwith a spiral gear 46 having its teeth out at an angle of about whichmeshes with a spiral gear 47 feathered by a key 48 to the hub 49' of ahand wheel 50 supported on a stud 51 held in suitable bracket 52depending from the crom frame 26 before referred to.

With the construction so far described, it will beseen that by rotatingthe hand wheel 50 to-the right, as shown in the figures, a longitudinalmotion will, because of the pitch of the gears, impart a longitudinalmotion to the right to the actuator block, this motion, through the ballbearing construction referred to, being very easlly imparted to theblock. When the hand Wheel is thus operated, the clutch teeth 45 on theactuator block engage with the teeth 35 of the clutch 32 which, asbefore stated, is fast on the shaft 23, and the teeth 34 of the clutch31 also fast on the shaft 24. Through these rolls or cylinders throughthe connections above described. By the rotation of the hand wheel 50 inthe opposite direction, the

actuator block is moved to the left to causethe rotation of the shafts23, 24 in the oppotill.

site direction. The connections by which the actuator block thus causesthe'opposite rotation of the shafts is, in the particular constructionillustrated, effected through a short shaft 53 supported above andparallel with the shafts 23, 24 in suitable hubs 54 carried on two ofthe brackets 25 before referred to. This shaft has fast thereon ears 55,56 which mesh with gear teeth 5 58 formed, respectively, on theperipheries of the clutches 36, 31, before referred to.

Through these connections, when the hand wheel 50 is rotated to theleft, as shown in the figures, the ratchet teeth 44 of the actuatorblockengage with the ratchet teeth 39, 40 on the clutch members 36, 38,and,

through them, gear 55, shaft 53, gear 56, and clutch 31, operatesimultaneously to rotate.-

block to become disengaged with whichever of the clutches it might be inengagement with. The construction described, therefore, avoids'the useof gears or clutches which have to be manually manipulated or operatedto get them in the correct position, and any difficulties due to theirbeing in the wrongposition when an adjustment is to be made, areeliminated.

While the invention has been shown and described in its preferred form,it will be understood that certain changes and variations may be made inthe particular construction and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the invention, and it is furthermore understood that asto some of its fe-at-ures'the invention is applicable to intaglioprinting machines in which both members of the printing couples may notbe cylinders.

What is claimed is: '1

1. In an intaglio printing machine, the

combination with a plurality of printing couples, of means forsimultaneously stopping and starting the printing operation of thecouples, means for independently stopping the printing operation of anycouple, and means for silencing the simultaneously operating means whenan independently operating means is actuated.

2. In an intaglio printing machine, the

combination with a plurality of printing couples, ofan actuator commonto the coup'les, means for manipulating the actuator to simultaneouslystart or stop the printing operation of the couples, means independent IIt of the actuator for stopping or starting the printing operation ofany couple, and connections whereby the actuator is rendered inoperativewhen an independent means is mani ulated.

3. 11 an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a pair ofspaced printing couples, of an actuator located between the couples andcommon to both, connections whereby the actuator may be manipulated forsimultaneously stopping or starting the printing operation of thecouples, means located adjacent each couple for independently stoppingor starting the printing operation t ereof, and connections whereby theactuator is rendered inoperative when any of the independentcouple-stopping means are manipulated.

4. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a plurality ofprinting couples spaced apart, each including a form and impressioncylinder for perfecting a web, of a clutch actuator located between thecouples and common to both for simultaneously stopping or starting theprinting operation of the couples, means for independently stopping orstarting the printing operation of any couple, manipulating mechanismfor the actuator, and connections whereby the operation of anindependent means operates the actuator mechanism t render the actuatorinoperative.

In an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a plurality ofprinting couples, of a movable clutch actuator, connections whereby whenthe actuator is moved in one direction the couples are moved intoprinting relation and when the actuator is moved in the other directionthe couples are moved out of printing relation, and means independent ofthe actuator for moving the members of any couple into or out ofprinting relation with each other.

6. In -an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a pair ofmovable impression cylinders and cooperating form cylinders, of amovable clutch actuator common to both the impression cylinders, andconnections whereby when the clutch actuator is moved in one directionthe impression cylinders are thrown into printing relation with thecooperating form cylinders and when the actuator is moved in the otherdirection the impression cylinders are moved out of printing relationwith the cooperating form cylinders.

7. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination of a plurality ofprinting couples each including form and impression cylinders, the formcylinders being constantly running and the impression cylinders beingvertically adjustable to and from the form cylinders, of an actuator, ashaft therefor, connections from the sha ft for lifting the impressioncylinder of one of the couples, a second shaft, connections therefrom.for lifting the impression cylinder of the other couple, andconnections whereby the actuator may operate both shafts forsimultaneously lifting both impression cylthe shafts are rotatedtogether and the impression cylinders simultaneously raised or lowered.

9. In an intaglio printing machine, the

. combination with a pair of impression cylinders, of a shaft,connections from the shaft to one of the impression cylinders formoving'the latter, a second shaft, connections from thesecond shaft tothe other impression cylinder, for moving the latter, an actuator blockslidable and rotatable on one of the shafts, clutch teeth on oppositelydisposed faces of the block, clutch members fast on the block shaft, aclutch member loose on the block shaft, a clutch member fast'on thesecond shaft, said clutch members having teeth arranged to be engaged bythe teeth on the block, and means for operating the block in eitherdirection to bring it into engagement with the clutch members.

10. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a pair ofimpression cylinders, of a shaft, connections from the shaft to one ofthe impression cylinders for moving the latter, a second shaft,connections from the second shaft to the other impression cylinder formoving the latter, an actuator block slidable and rotatable on one ofthe shafts, clutch members fast on the block shaft, a clutch memberloose on the block shaft, a clutch member fast on the second shaft, saidclutch members having teeth arranged to be engaged by the teeth on theblock, a worm gear on the block, and an operating shaft having acooperating worm wheel.

11. In an intaglio printin machine, the combination with a pair ofimpression cylinders, of a shaft, connections from the shaft to one 'ofthe impression cylinders for moving the latter, a second shaft,connections from the second shaft to the other impression cylinder formoving the latter, an actuator block slidable and rotatable on one ofthe shafts, clutch teeth on oppositely disposed faces of the block,clutch members fast on the block shaft, a clutch member loose on theblock shaft, a clutch member fast on the other shaft, a cross shaft,gears iaeeaao thereon cooperating with gear teeth on the clutch members,and means for sliding the actuator in either direction for causing it torotate the cylinder operating shafts simultaneously.

12. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination with a pair ofimpression cylinders, of a shaft, connections from the shaft to one ofthe impression cylinders for moving the latter, a second shaft,connections from the second shaft to the other impression cylinder formoving ,the latter, an actuator block slidable and rotatable on one ofthe shafts, clutch teeth on oppositely disposed faces of the block,clutch members fast on the block shaft, a clutch member loose on theblock shaft, a clutch member fast on the second shaft, the clutchmembers fast on the block 'shaft'being positioned in recesses in theother clutch members, the clutch members being provided with coincidingclutch teeth, and means for operatin the actuator block in eitherdirection to bring the clutch teeth thereon into engagement with theteeth of the clutch members.

13. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination of a pair ofimpression cylinders, a pair of shafts, connections from the shafts formoving the impression cylinders,

an actuator freely slidable longitudinally of and rotatable on one ofthe shafts, said actuator having oppositely disposed clutch faces,cooperating clutch members on each of the shafts at opposite sides ofthe actuator, and connections whereby when the actuator is in clutchedrelation with the clutch membersthe shafts may be rotated simultaneouslyin either direction and the impression cylinders simultaneously raisedor lowered.

14. In an intaglio printing machine, the combination of a pair ofimpression cylinders, a pair of shafts, connections from the shafts formoving the impression cylinders,

an actuator freely slidable longitudinally of and rotatable on one ofthe shafts, said actuator having oppositely disposed clutch faces,cooperating clutch members on each of the shafts at opposite sides ofthe actuator, connections whereby when the actuator is in clutchedrelation with the clutch members the shafts may be rotatedsimultaneously in either direction and the impression cylinderssimultaneously raised or lowered, and means for moving the impressioncylinders independently of each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

ISIDOR TORNBERG.

